Top 5 of 2012
Year-End Top 5
Carl Acheson – Office Intern
1. TNGHT – Self-Titled
2. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
3. Municipal Waste/Toxic Holocaust – Toxic Waste
4. Captain Murphy – Duality
5. Odd Future – The OF Tape, Vol. 2
Ischa B. – Writer/Marketing Rep
1. MiNX – Mixtape Collection
2. Uncle Scam – Fly Free
3. P!nk – The Truth about Love
4. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel
5. Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas
Katie Bald – Copy Editor
1. One Direction – Take Me Home
2. Marina and the Diamonds – Electra Heart
3. G.O.O.D. Music – Cruel Summer
4. Lana Del Rey – Born to Die
5. Rihanna – Unapologetic
Robin Banks – Illustrator
1. Grimes – Visions
2. Allo Darlin’ – Europe
3. The White Wires – WWIII
4. Full Sun – Bare Floor
5. Standard Fare – Out of Sight, Out of Town
Brad Barker – Ad Designer
1. Draize Method – Now More Than Never
2. Placebo – B3 EP
3. Sigur Rós – Valtari
4. Patti Smith – Banga
5. Aimee Mann – Charmer
John Barkiple – Photographer
1. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – Theatre Is Evil
2. Jake Shimabukuro – Grand Ukulele
3. Old Crow Medicine Show – Carry Me Back
4. The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter
5. Prince Royce – Phase II
James Bennett – Writer
1. John K. Samson – Provincial
2. Man or Astro–Man? – Astro Analog Series: Vol. 1 & 2
3. Buck Owens – Coloring Book EP
4. fIREHOSE – lowFLOWs: The Columbia Anthology (‘91 – ‘93)
5. Craig Finn – Clear Heart Full Eyes
Paden Bischoff – Ad Designer
1. Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind
2. Gaza – No Absolutes in Human Suffering
3. Aesop Rock – Skelethon
4. Old Man Gloom – NO
5. Baroness – Yellow & Green
Courtney Blair – Writer
1. iamamiwhoami – Kin
2. Cat Power – Sun
3. Bat For Lashes – The Haunted Man
4. Wild Nothing – Nocturne
5. Kendra Morris – Banshee
Madelyn Boudreaux – Writer
1. The Presets – Pacifica
2. Wovenhand – The Laughing Stalk
3. Julian Tulip’s Licorice – The Umbrella Party
4. The Rose Phantom – Abandon
5. Crime & the City Solution – A History of Crime (Berlin 1987–1991)
Angela Brown – Editor
1. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Mature Themes
2. Swans – The Seer
3. A Place To Bury Strangers – Worship
4. Liars – WIXIW
5. Eagle Twin – The Feather Tipped the Serpent’s Scale
Mike Brown – Ad Sales/Writer
1. El-P – Cancer 4 Cure
2. Swagatha Christie – Creep Van Tour 2012
3. Ty Segall – Slaughterhouse
4. Thunderfist – Self-Titled
5. Aesop Rock – Skelethon
Matt Brunk – Writer
1. Highlight Bomb – Finals
2. Make Do And Mend – Everything You Ever Loved
3. Danko Jones – Rock and Roll Is Black and Blue
4. My Ticket Home – To Create A Cure
5. Silverstein – Short Songs
Maggie Call – Ad Designer
1. Beach House – Bloom
2. Skrillex – Bangarang
3. Mumford & Sons – Babel
4. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Mature Themes
5. Grizzly Bear – Shields
Phil Cannon – Illustrator
1. Torche – Harmonicraft
2. Meshuggah – Koloss
3. Willis Earl Beal – Acousmatic Sorcery
4. Mirel Wagner – Mirel Wagner
5. Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits
Jory Carroll – Writer
1. Heartless Bastards – Arrow
2. Sharon Van Etten – Tramp
3. Jack White – Blunderbuss
4. Beach House – Bloom
5. Dr. Dog – Be the Void
Dylan Chadwick – Writer
1. The Rival Mob – Mob Justice Tape
2. Shipwrecked – The Last Pagans
3. Testament – Dark Roots of Earth
4. Nothing – Downward Years to Come
5. World War 4 – Demo 2012
Hannah Christian – Copy Editor
1. Death Grips – The Money Store
2. Between the Buried and Me – The Parallax 2: Future Sequence
3. Anti–Flag – The General Strike
4. Grimes – Visions
5. Hot Chip – In Our Heads
Rio Connelly – Writer/Copy Editor
1. Lazerbeak – Lava Bangers
2. Fang Island – Major
3. Atheist – Thanks for the Burgers
4. Bright Moments – Natives
5. P.O.S. – We Don’t Even Live Here
Melissa Cohn – Photographer
1. The Gaslight Anthem – Handwritten
2. Minus the Bear – Infinity Overhead
3. Circa Survive – Violent Waves
4. P.O.S. – We Don’t Even Live Here
5. Foxy Shazam – The Church of Rock and Roll
Weston Colton – Photographer
1. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
2. Twin Shadow – Confess
3. The Presets – Pacifica
4. Santigold – Master of My Make–Believe
5. Tanlines – Mixed Emotion
Alex Cragun – Writer/Copy Editor
1. Gaza – No Absolutes in Human Suffering
2. Zulus – Zulus
3. Swans – The Seer
4. Hellshovel – Hated by the Sun
5. The xx – Coexist
Thy Doan – Ad Designer
1. The xx – Coexist
2. Metric – Synthetica
3. Mumford & Sons – Babel
4. Ladyhawke – Anxiety
5. The Lumineers – The Lumineers
Candida Duran – Videographer
1. OK Ikumi – Alpine Sequences
2. Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror
3. Ty Segall – Twins
4. Best Coast – The Only Place
5. The Mighty Sequoyah – Sunken Houses
Scott Farley – Writer
1. Silversun Pickups – Neck of the Woods
2. Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet on Sky
3. Propagandhi – Failed States
4. Minus the Bear – Infinity Overhead
5. Circa Survive – Violent Waves
John Ford – Ad Sales/Writer/Copy Editor
1. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – Theatre Is Evil
2. Torche – Harmonicraft
3. Jack White – Blunderbuss
4. Royal Republic – Save The Nation
5. Muse – The 2nd Law
Brinley Froelich – Writer
1. Laurel Halo – Quarantine
2. Cat Power – Sun
3. Heartless Bastards – Arrow
4. Peaking Lights – Lucifer
5. Grimes – Visions
Peter Fryer – Writer
1. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
2. Christian Mistress – Possession
3. Dawnbringer – Into the Lair of the Sun God
4. Enabler – All Hail the Void
5. OM – Advaitic Songs
Justin Gallegos – Writer
1. The Ripe – Into Your Ears
2. Purity Ring – Shrines
3. Animal Collective – Centipede Hz
4. James & Evander – Bummer Pop
5. Zulu Pearls – No Heroes, No Honeymoons
Anna Gedal – Writer
1. G.O.O.D. Music – Cruel Summer
2. The Lumineers – The Lumineers
3. Heartless Bastards – Arrow
4. Santigold – Master of My Make–Believe
5. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
Steve Goemaat – Writer
1. Nas – Life Is Good
2. With the Punches – Seams & Stiches
3. The Ghost Inside – Get What You Give
4.Minus the Bear – Infinity Overhead
5. Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind
Gregory Gerulat – Writer
1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Reissues
2. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
3. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse
4. Frankie Rose – Interstellar
5. Pallbearer – Sorrow and Extinction
Henry Glasheen – Writer
1. Aura Noir – Out to Die
2. Visigoth – Final Spell EP
3. Merlins Beard – Voodoo
4. Gypsyhawk – Revelry & Resilience
5. Odium Totus – Nullam Congue Nihil
Eric Granato – Distribution Manager
1. Aesop Rock – Skelethon
2. Brother Ali – Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
3. The Raveonettes – Observator
4. Dusk Raps – Throw Away the Key
5. P.O.S. – We Don’t Even Live Here
Timo H. – Writer
1. Swans – The Seer
2. The Gaslamp Killer – Breakthrough
3. Wendy Rene – After Laughter Comes Tears: Complete Stax & Volt Singles + Rarities 1964–1965
4. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes
5. Pye Corner Audio – Sleep Games
Ryan Hall – Writer
1. Spoek Mathambo – Father Creeper
2. Evian Christ – Kings and Them EP
3. Padang Food Tigers – Ready Country Nimbus
4. OMBRE – Believe You Me
5. Busdriver – Beaus$Eros
Sean Hennefer – Illustrator
1. Every Time I Die – Ex Lives
2. Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind
3. Blur – 21
4. Rufus Wainwright – Out Of The Game
5. Gallows – Gallows
Dean O Hillis – Writer
1. Saint Etienne – Words and Music By…
2. Madonna – MDNA
3. The Mynabirds – Generals
4. Suzanne Vega – Close–Up Vol. 4, Songs of Family
5. Aimee Mann – Charmer
Gavin Hoffman – Writer
1. Burzum – Umskiptar
2. Burning Witch – LP Box Set
3. The Decemberists – We All Raise Our Voices to the Air
4. Swans – The Seer
5. Chelsea Wolfe – Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs
Nate Housley – Writer
1. Beach House – Bloom
2. Death Grips – The Money Store
3. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
4. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
5. Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind
Cody Hudson – Writer
1. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
2. Youth Lagoon – Year of Hibernation
3. How To Dress Well – Total Loss
4. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse
5. Schoolboy Q – Habits and Contradictions
LeAundra Jeffs – Writer
1. Brother Ali – Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
2. Why? – Mumps, etc.
3. iamamiwhoami – Kin
4. Shearwater – Animal Joy
5. Grizzly Bear – Shields
Joshua Joye – Lead Designer
1. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Meat and Bone
2. Old Man Gloom – No
3. A Place to Bury Strangers – Worship
4. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
5. Eagle Twin – The Feather Tipped the Serpent’s Scale
Megan Kennedy – Writer/Photographer
1. As I Lay Dying – Awakened
2. Gaza – No Absolutes In Human Suffering
3. Lamb of God – Resolution
4. Between The Buried And Me – Parallax II: Future Sequence
5. The Contortionist – Intristic
Chad Kirkland – Photographer
1. Liars – WIXIW
2. Miike Snow – Happy To You
3. Heartless Bastards – Arrow
4. Grimes – Visions
5. Odd Future – The OF Tape, Vol. 2
Cody Kirkland – Writer/Copy Editor/Distro
1. Liars – WIXIW
2. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
3. Smile – A Flash In The Night
4. Heartless Bastards – Arrow
5. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse
Brian Kubarycz – Writer
1. The Suicycles – Love, Light, and Life
2. Gaza – No Absolutes in Human Suffering
3. Swans – The Seer
4. Witch Mountain – Cauldron of the Wild
5. Torche – Harmonicraft
Perrylane Deker-Tate – Videographer
1. Marcus D – Melancholy Hopeful
2. Linkin Park – Living Things
3. Substantial – Home Is Where The Art Is
4. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist
5. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid M.A.A.D City
Blake Leszczynski – Writer
1. The Milk – Tales From the Thames Delta
2. Jack White – Blunderbuss
3. The Heavy – The Glorious Dead
4. Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…
5. Plan B – ill Manors
Kia McGinnis – Writer
1. Aesop Rock – Skelethon
2. Perfume Genius – Put Your Back N 2 It
3. Dr. Dog – Be The Void
4. Dark Dark Dark – Who Needs Who
5. Golden Sun – Self-Titled EP
Mariah Mellus – Writer
1. The Shins – Port of Morrow
2. Passion Pit – Gossamer
3. Grizzly Bear – Shields
4. The Lumineers – Self-Titled
5. Tennis – Young and Old
Esther Meroño – Managing Editor
1. Purity Ring – Shrines
2. Santigold – Master of My Make-Believe
3. Chromatics – Kill For Love
4. Niki & The Dove – Instinct
5. The xx – Coexist
Jeanette Moses – Writer
1. Diamond Rugs – Self-Titled
2. Allah-Las – Self-Titled
3. Ty Segall – Twins
4. Nick Waterhouse – Time’s All Gone
5. Teen Daze – All Of Us, Together
Dan Nailen – Soundwaves From The Underground Podcast Host
1. Justin Townes Earle – Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
2. Corin Tucker Band – Kill My Blues
3. Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet On Sky
4. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
5. My Darling Clementine – How Do You Plead?
Gavan Nelson – Photographer
1. Damien Jurado – Maraqopa
2. Thollem/Parker/Cline – The Gowanus Session
3. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
4. Lite – Past, Present, Future
5. Dinosaur Jr. – I Bet On Sky
Adam Okeefe – Distro Driver
1. Of Monsters and Men – My Head Is an Animal
2. Jack White – Blunderbuss
3. Taylor Swift – Red
4. Perfume Genius – Put Your Back N 2 It
5. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
James Orme – Writer
1. J.D McPherson – Signs & Signifiers
2. Blind Rage & Violence – The End of Rock and Roll
3. The Modern Sounds – Sing and Play for You
4. Hank Williams – The Lost Concerts
5. Wanda Jackson – Unfinished Business
Alexander Ortega – Junior Editor
1. White Lung – Sorry
2. Baroness – Yellow & Green
3. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
4. Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind
5. Of Monsters And Men – My Head Is An Animal
Liz Phillips – Copy Editor
1. Aesop Rock – Skelethon
2. Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror
3. PSY – PSY 6
4. Allah–las – Self-Titled
5. The xx – Coexist
Karamea Puriri – Marketing Coordinator
1. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes
2. Crystal Castles – III
3. Niki & The Dove – Inst
nct
4. S O H N – The Wheel EP
5. Caves – When You Were Partying, I Was Dying
Nate Perkins – Writer
1. Solid Attitude – BB Gun Picnic
2. Youthbitch – Don’t Fuck This Up
3. Broken Spells – Self-Titled
4. Natural Child – For the Love of The Game
5. Thee Oh Sees – Putrifiers II
Chris Proctor – Writer
1. Chilly Gonzales – Solo Piano 2
2. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes
3. JJ Doom – Key to the Kuffs
4. Hot Chip – In Our Heads
5. Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
Steve Richardson – Writer
1. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse
2. Cheap Time – Wallpaper Music
3. King Tuff – Self-Titled
4. Screaming Females – Ugly
5. Cloud Nothings – Attack On Memory
Darcy Russell – Writer
1. Liars – WIXIW
2. Melvins – Freak Puke
3. Jack White – Blunderbuss
4. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
5. Grizzly Bear – Shields
Christian Schultz – Writer
1. Grimes – Visions
2. Purity Ring – Shrines
3. Trust – TRST
4. Blood Diamonds – Phone Sex
5. Crystal Castles – III
Gavin Sheehan – Soundwaves From The Underground Lead Producer/Office Coordinator
1. Thunderfist – Self-Titled
2. Folk Hogan – Band Of Mighty Souls
3. Book On Tape Worm – All The World’s A Stage
4. Baby Ghosts – Let’s Always Hang Out Together, Okay?
5. The Suicycles – Love, Light, and Life
Alex Springer – Writer
1. Heartless Bastards – Arrow
2. First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar
3. The Shins – Port of Morrow
4. The New Electric Sound – Self-Titled
5. Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits
Dave Stuart – Copy Editor
1. Gary Clark Jr. – Blak and Blu
2. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse
3. Lana Del Rey – Born to Die
4. Santigold – Master of My Make-Believe
5. Dr. Dog – Be the Void
Jesse Thomas – Writer
1. Andrew Bird – Break It Yourself
2. Beach House – Bloom
3. Kishi Bashi – 151a
4. Grizzly Bear – Shields
5. Mount Eerie – Clear Moon
Rebecca Vernon – Copy Editor
1. Swans – The Seer
2. Worm Ouroboros – Come the Thaw
3. Gaza – No Absolutes in Human Suffering
4. Eagle Twin – The Feather Tipped the Serpent’s Scale
5. Eraserhead – A Suicide, Part One
Ricky Vigil – Contributing Editor
1. Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind
2. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
3. Black Breath – Sentenced to Life
4. The Atom Age – The Hottest Thing That’s Cool
5. Eagle Twin – The Feather Tipped the Serpent’s Scale
Jake Vivori – Photographer
1. Memphis May Fire – Challenger
2. White Panda – Bambooyah!
3. The Word Alive – Life Cycles
4. Nas – Life Is Good
5. Purity Ring – Shrines
Mame Wallace – Writer
1. Mac Miller and Pharrell – Pink Slime
2. Boys Noize – Out of the Black
3. The Partysquad – Badman Rave EP
4. Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes
5. Swedish House Mafia – Until Now
Catie Weimer –
Social Media Coordinator
1. Japandroids – Celebration Rock
2. Chelsea Wolfe – Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs
3. Wreck and Reference – No Youth
4. Nihill – Verdonkermaan
5. Converge – All We Love We Leave Behind
Bryer Wharton – Writer
1. Prong – Carved into Stone
2. Ahab – The Giant
3. Sigh – In Somniphobia
4. Evoken – Atra Mors
5. Katatonia – Dead End Kings
Sean Zimmerman-Wall – Writer
1. Brother Ali – Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
2. Best Coast – The Only Place
3. Tenacious D – Rize of the Fenix
4. Imagine Dragons – Night Visions
5. Grizzly Bear – Shields
Jessie Wood – Writer
1. Burial – Street Halo
2. The xx – Coexist
3. Justin Martin –
Ghettos & Gardens
4. Grizzly Bear – Shields
5. Scuba – Personality